DOVER, Del. (Sept. 15, 2023) – This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the recommendation that everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness this fall and winter. The recommendation follows the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) action approving and authorizing for emergency use updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna formulated to more closely target currently circulating variants. Per the CDC, vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death and reduces the chance of suffering from Long COVID. Anyone who has yet to receive any type of COVID-19 vaccination and those whose last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine was over two months ago may receive the updated doses when they become available in the coming days.
The updated COVID-19 vaccines will soon be available at pharmacies, health care providers, state public health clinics, federally qualified health centers, and other facilities. Vaccination will be available free for everyone through one of three methods. Those covered under most private or government insurance plans can receive the vaccine at various pharmacies or providers throughout the state with the cost fully covered by insurance. For those who are uninsured or underinsured, vaccinations will be available at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), public health clinics, local pharmacies, and certain providers via the State of Delaware’s Immunization Program and at Walgreens, CVS and pharmacies affiliated with the ETrueNorth pharmacy network through the federal government’s Bridge Access Program. Additionally, children who currently participate in the CDC’s Vaccines for Children Program will also be able to receive free COVID-19 updated vaccines where they receive their routine vaccinations. A full listing of vaccine locations will be posted on www.vaccines.gov as they become available.